Onyx Boox T68 e-ink Reader that runs on Android 4.0.4 with Google Play: Initial impressions

 

** Jun 29 update: I’ve been messing around with this a bit more today since Kindle Android app v4.2 doesn’t provide font choices. Today, I downloaded and installed Kindle Android app v4.4.0.71. Not only does 4.4.0.71 include font choices (yay!), I was delighted to find it also seems to *minimize* the page turn lag and distracting artifacting displayed during the page turn process. The artifacting doesn’t go away completely, but it’s much improved over what I saw with Kindle apk v4.2 or 4.5

Edited later: Okay, 4.4 works but after my Kindle (Cloud) library loaded, the page-turn artifacting seemed to return. Oh well, at least 4.4 includes different font choices.**

Original post:

Spoiler: I like it a lot! You’ll note as you read this article that some text has background shading — this is text I’ve copied from my mobileread.com forum post and I just couldn’t figure out how to get rid of it. It doesn’t signify anything special 😉

As you read this article, bear in mind this comes from someone who’s generally rooted Nook hardware to run the Kindle app. I most recently rooted the Nook Simple Touch (NST). My only complaint was that the Kindle app on the rooted NST rendered font too thin for my taste. The Kindle app on T68 experience isn’t as “perfect” or refined as on the Paperwhite2, but it’s not bad if you can ignore some minor artifacts in between page turns… the rendered page/text looks fine.

Read on for my thoughts about the new Onyx Boox Lynx T68 ereader which runs on Android 4.0.4 with Google Play installed –

My T68 (ordered from Arta-Tech/onyx-boox.com in Poland last weekend) arrived today. By the way, my experience with Arta-Tech was stellar — they shipped promptly, responded to an email inquiry within minutes and generally provided an excellent purchase experience. Note that Amazon US is now carrying the T68, as well.

I wanted the T68 mainly to read Oyster, Scribd, and Kindle ebooks on the same e-ink reader rather than spending so much money on Kindle ebooks. Here are a few initial observations:

• Oyster book app: Works pretty well and the rendered page looks great. There is a slight flash during page turns where the new page appears briefly, shows a blank page, then displays the new page (again). It’s pretty quick and I can live with it.
• Scribd app: Has the same brief text overlap flash when turning pages (as I’ve been seeing with Kindle apps on the T68) but otherwise rendered text similar to the Oyster Book app.
• Kindle app: I first installed the Kindle app from Google play store. I don’t know if it’s my huge library (I pick up alot of free books) or the size of my audible library, but the newest kindle app wasn’t very well-behaved (for me). I did a google search and found (then installed) Kindle app 4.2.0.101 and it’s working great. Font rendering isn’t quite as dark as the Paperwhite2 but much better than the Kindle app on a rooted Nook Simple Touch.
• Case: The port cutouts don’t match the T68, but I have an old Kindle Fire (edited to correct: I believe it’s actually Kindle HD 7″) case that fits the T68 well. I wouldn’t mind getting a case specifically made for the T68 but this will protect it in my handbag until then.

Caution: I’m finding that the Kindle app works best when I only have a few (2 or 3 400 page) books downloaded to the T68. For me, that’s not a big deal since this device offers me the flexibility I’ve wanted ever since subscribing to the Scribd and Oyster Books monthly services.

 

If you’d like to see the T68 in action, there are several youtube videos posted. Some are foreign language, but the hardware (and third party app behavior, like Kindle) is demoed. I found these videos helpful as I contemplated buying the T68.

 

All in all, I’m pretty happy with the T68. Battery life has been very good, especially with wifi off in between ebook downloads. The hardware is good quality and I was happy to learn the o-ring around the button on the front works as a page forward/back controller for the kindle app. (It doesn’t work quite as well with the Oyster app and apparently not at all in the Scribd app, but the touch screen page turns work fine for all the reader apps I’ve listed.)

I was wrong about the Kindle…. musings of a new Kindle 2 owner

In June 2008, I posted an article entitled Kindle: Still too expensive at $359. I shunned the original Kindle as too expensive and frankly, too ugly. As much as I love books and reading, I couldn’t imagine spending $359 for a device that looked so dated.

There, I’ve said it. Even with my affection for shiny, new gadgets, what’s on the inside counts but what’s on the outside counts, too.

Flash forward eight months to February 2009, when the Kindle 2 was announced….

Suddenly, what I’d previously thought was overpriced became quite compelling. Was it the addition of text to speech? Was it the prettier design? Was it the influence of my Kindle-owning friends? Those answers and more below, in my initial impressions as a Kindle 2 owner.

What I like about the Kindle 2:
Solid, quality construction: My initial impression upon removing the Kindle from its shipping carton was, “Wow, this is really solid.” Of course, it requires the same care in handling as any electronic device. However, it’s thin but doesn’t feel fragile.

Text to speech: It doesn’t quite sound natural but yet isn’t so digitized as to be unlistenable. This feature will be handy for those times when my eyes are tired from gazing at a computer screen.

Intuitive navigation: I confess, I took a quick look at the user guide but didn’t pay attention to navigation instructions. I just picked up the Kindle 2, and started using it.

The screen: Crisp and easy to read. It has a matte (not glossy) finish to reduce glare when reading outside. 

On board dictionary: What reader doesn’t at times encounter a word they’d like defined? With the on board New Oxford America Dictionary, one doesn’t even have to put down the book to look up a definition. Nice!

 

Amazon’s eBook selection: I’m a long-time Audible.com (audio book service) subscriber. As wonderful as Audible.com is, sometimes I want a book that’s just not available in audio format. Enter Amazon’s Kindle book store which offers great variety, and pricing (many at $9.99) is still far less than buying the physical book.

3G wireless connectivity without monthly subscription: Considering the cheapest cellular data plans cost an average of $20 to 30 per month, the Kindle’s always on wireless helps justify the device’s pricing. Of course, this always on wireless has its benefits for Amazon – it makes it incredibly easy to buy books.

What I’d like to see improved:
Variety of Kindle newspaper subscriptions is too limited and most are too expensive considering their digital format: I set up a Kindle subscription to The Irish Times since I love the perspective non-U.S. press offers and I thought the subscription pricing was reasonable at $5.99 per month. I love the Wall Street Journal but my current annual online subscription costs less than twelve times the Kindle WSJ $9.99 monthly subscription – I’ll keep my web-based version, thanks.

And, frankly, that’s all I can think of that I’d change. I am delighted with the Kindle 2, and very impressed with its quality and the attention to detail that has gone into its design and implementation.